Episode 310: Five Things I Want to See at E3

E3 has always been a magical time of year for gamers. This is the week in the year where game companies put their best foot forward and try to impress their prospective audiences with their upcoming products. They put on this big song and dance in order to get people hyped for something that may not even be ready in the same year! And, honestly, I’m a huge sucker for that. I mean, almost four whole years ago, we were treated to some really big reveals like Final Fantasy VII Remake and Shenmue III and we still haven’t seen a concrete release date for either of them! That’s three entire years!

That’s E3 for ya! They hype up the stuff, even if they have no idea if and when they’ll actually release the things. And we eat it all up hungrily and ask if there’s more. Well, this year is going to be no different. It’s undoubtedly going to be a strange E3 as Sony will be MIA this year… but I bet they still will make their presence felt with a couple of “PlayStation Exclusives” announced by other developers anyway.

With video gaming’s biggest week upon us, there are still a whole lot of stuff I wish to see announced this year. Take note that these are not predictions. I wish I had industry insider sources and all that but I don’t. What I do have are dreams of the stuff that could be revealed at E3 this year. And here are just five of them…

Final Fantasy VII Remake reveals the release dates and make a playable demo available

I was only two years old when the original Final Fantasy VII was made available on the first Sony PlayStation. Even though I haven’t played it and I only know bits and pieces of the game’s grand story, I am familiar with its legacy. It’s a lot of gamers favorite video game of all time. So when the Remake was announced, I fully understand why the Internet lost their mind.

But it’s been a while since Final Fantasy VII Remake was announced. We have seen a smattering of new trailers since then but Square-Enix has still to mention when the games (yes, I am aware it’ll be split into multiple parts) will be released.

Since it’s going to be officially four entire years since Final Fantasy VII Remake was announced next week, I have a feeling that they will give more concrete details as to when the games will be ready. But to sweeten the pot and to make people more excited for it (as if that were possible), Square Enix will announce that a playable demo will be made available for download during their press conference.

Resident Evil VIII will be announced with a full length trailer

2019 has been a great year for gaming. Kingdom Hearts III. Mortal Kombat 11. Devil May Cry 5. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. And we’re just at the midpoint of the year! But, if I were to pick my Game of the Year right now, it would be Resident Evil 2 REmake. It’s a game I’ve played so many times already that I’ve memorized each puzzle and combination by heart. I still don’t have the necessary skills to get an S+ Rank in Hardcore mode since I have the nasty habit of having to disable most zombies and collect everything. A bad habit for speedrunning, I know.

But between Resident Evil 2 REmake and Resident Evil 7, Capcom has proven that survival horror is not dead and I’m just itching for more Resident Evil! Strangely enough, strange for me anyway, a lot of people are expecting a remake of Resident Evil 3. I respect your opinion but… why? I always felt that Resident Evil 3 was the weakest of the original games. I guess just so you can have the original trilogy remastered? But why hope for an updated version of Resident Evil 3 when you can get a totally new Resident Evil?

A trailer for Resident Evil VIII would make me swoon! Bring back the first person point of view and give us another creepy story of another hapless person being caught in a ridiculous situation like in Resident Evil VII! It’s going to be torturous but I’m going to love every minute of it! But first things first, give us a trailer of Resident Evil VIII. And not just a teaser! Give me a real trailer with all the bells and whistles!

Dragon Age 4 gameplay and details announced

I was very late getting into the Dragon Age party. In fact, the only game I played from the franchise was the Game of the Year Edition of Dragon Age Inquisition because it was being sold dirt cheap on the PlayStation Store then. But, boy, am I glad I did! It became my favorite game that year and, even though I already finished it, I actually boot it up once in a while just to go exploring throughout Thedas. Not like anything can kill me now, though, since my Robin Inquisitor is super buff!

So when EA announced Dragon Age: The Dread Wolf Rises last year, I was stoked. The only problem is EA didn’t give any details in the announcement! How is the gameplay? How is it going to continue from Dragon Age Inquisition? No information of the sort. Just a quick teaser to say they’re working on it.

I will admit there is a part of me that is concerned about Dragon Age 4, though. After the disastrous Mass Effect Andromeda, Anthem and EA’s direction of “live services” over single player experiences, there is going to be a good chance that they’ll muck up the game! EA can rush through its development like Anthem and Mass Effect Andromeda or bloat Dragon Age 4 with multiplayer crap because they believe that’s the only way to make money despite single player games selling well.

Even with these dreadful notions, I would still want to see more Dragon Age 4 information during EA’s press conference at E3 next week. I don’t expect things like a release date but I would like to see gameplay and a little tidbits of story information, please.

Microsoft to tease their next-generation Xbox system

I am a Sony fangirl but, may I be frank? The Sony PlayStation 4 is outperforming Microsoft’s Xbox One console in sales. I can put up a chart to prove this but, even if you are an Xbox fanatic, you know this to be true. I also know Microsoft is aware of this and I’m betting they’re planning something big. It’s also the best time to do it since Sony is being lazy this year and not even going to E3 this year. Oh, and even though I am a Sony fangirl, I give two thumbs down to Sony for not participating this year. That just sucks, Sony!

But back to Microsoft. They really need something big at E3 while Sony is slumming it. And what could be bigger than announcing the follow up to the Xbox One? I’m rooting for Microsoft to show off a new console because, if I’m being honest here, it’s about time for this current console generation to start ending. It just seems like each generation’s lifespan is getting longer and longer and I’m just waiting for someone to pull the trigger for the next generation console war to start. It might as well be Microsoft.

Nintendo tweaking the Switch design

While I am a Sony fangirl, I do love my Nintendo Switch. It’s a really good system and the games that I do have for it I find really great. Right now, I’m going through the entire Ace Attorney Trilogy and I’ve been having a blast with it. But as fantastic a console the Switch is, there are a few problematic things I have with the the system. Admittedly, these issues are huge but they are still problems. But at least my list isn’t as extensive as others.

Like I mentioned at the start of this post, this isn’t a predictions list. This is a wishlist of things I want to be announced at this year’s E3. I doubt Nintendo will make updates to the Switch this early in the game but some of the issues I have, like the laughably weak kickstand and a better designed dock, can easily be fixed without much of a hassle. Also, fans have been complaining about the system’s battery life and low storage capacity. I think technology has improved enough that Nintendo can find better alternatives to the battery and memory chips the Switch is using now.

I don’t see it happening… but wouldn’t it be great if Nintendo does say that all future Switch units will fix these issues?

BONUS: Sega reveals the final 10 games of the Sega Genesis Mini

I may not know a lot about the Sega Genesis or the upcoming Sega Genesis Mini. But judging from the reaction of my brother with each batch of upcoming games this new retro system is getting, it looks like Sega is doing a top notch job at picking what to add.

While Sega will not have a keynote or anything like that, I expect them to release the final ten games sometime during E3. It seems like it would be the best time to do so, after all.

What announcements would you like to see at this year’s E3? Let me know what they are in the comments section below!